These same pictures where taken during the same game, experienced players who constantly play in tournaments and do well. All in the same game

here is another young guy who played a few weeks ago. has all his own gear.

same kid on the far right. a few of those guys place first in almost all the tournaments around here but are able to play with younger guys.

not sure on the age of those two, but we consistently have young players of there age group playing in big games out in the woods. Once they get comfortable they will be out on the speed ball field like the kid posted above.

I think the biggest thing is how the older/ experienced players tone them selves down when playing with younger guys. At the field we play at, if it comes down to a 2vs1 or even a 3vs1, and the last guy is about to get run down by a guy or two, they blow the whistle before they can lay it on them.

We also make it a point to shoot people in the pack if they dont know we are behind them. I know during one of our games, I ran that younger kid down but once i realized it was him and that he wasnt shooting at me (didnt see me) i made sure to put one shot onto his leg to end them game. I played as hard as i could but adjusted my self based on who was shooting at me. If he keeps playing like he has been, i wont need to tone my self back. I have played against my fair share of young kids who can hold their own against almost anyone that regulars our field.

i know i started to get exposure at paintball when i was about 6 or 7. then when i turned 9 my older brother (who had tons of tournament experience) took me outside, set up some tables on their sides as bunkers and did 1 on 1's. got a feel for the pain there, then got hooked from then. so i'd say 9-10, considering most fields have a minimum age around that time.

I'd say 10 to 11 is the ideal age. They're capable of thinking rationally and probably won't be turned away from paintball by a hit or two. I started at 11 and I've been playing ever since! I think as soon as they can understand that the pain of being hit is only temporary, they'll be fine! I tried to play with my brother (age 8) and one hit and he was done. Probably won't actually play until he's a little older! Don't start too early or you risk what happened with my brother...now I have no one to play with! I started my sister at age 12, and my other sister at age 10. They love it! They eat up every paint-soaked, dirt-covered, sweat-drenched moment. My younger sister (13) has her own Limited Edition pink Viewloader Maxis, Ninja 48/30, and Revvy. My older-younger sister (15) has a bright blue Viewloader Triton II with just a shake-and-bake.
Age doesn't matter a bit! I've been whooped by a 60-year-old and a 6 year old on separate occasions. Start them when they're ready, which I've found to be around 10.
Noah

1:When the kid is mature enough to recognize what is going on and how to properly grasp the concept of the game. I know those that are legaly defined as adults who can't do this.
2: Can they hold the marker correctly? A low weight pump would be ideal.
3:The age will be different for everyone.

__________________

I never understood why Beer wenches were a thing. Bring me a rum wench any day.